Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 130

“At long last…”

On the evening of 11 December, there was one final family dinner at Royal Lodge. The guests were Edward’s mother Queen Mary, his sister the Princess Royal, his three brothers, Queen Mary’s brother the Earl of Athlone and his wife Princess Alice. The Earl of Athlone later recalled, “It might have been quite a gloomy occasion. I take my hat off to the butler! Pretty flowers and china and all that – the table beautifully set out: beautifully done. Made it quite cheerful.”1

At 9.30 that night, Edward left Royal Lodge and headed to Windsor Castle from where he was meant to make his radio broadcast. There had reportedly been one version of the speech that began with the words, “I am now free to tell you how I was jockeyed out of the Throne.” However, Winston Churchill had made Edward throw it into the fire and it was Churchill who wrote the final abdication broadcast.2 Wallis perhaps would have preferred Edward’s version of the broadcast as she had written to him on 6 December, “Don’t be silenced and leave under a cloud I beseech you and in abdication no matter in what form unless you can let the public know that the Cabinet has virtually kicked you out…”3

At ten, Edward was introduced with the words, “This is Windsor Castle. His Royal Highness, Prince Edward.” Edward then began his broadcast, ” At long last I am able to say a few words of my own. I have never wanted to withhold anything, but until now it has not been constitutionally possible for me to speak.

A few hours ago I discharged my last duty as King and Emperor, and now that I have been succeeded by my brother, The Duke of York, my first words must be to declare my allegiance to him. This I do with all my heart. You all know the reasons which have impelled me to renounce the Throne. But I want you to understand that in making up my mind I did not forget the country or the Empire which as Prince of Wales, and lately as King, I have for twenty-five years tried to serve. But you must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to
discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.

And I want you to know that the decision I have made has been mine and mine alone. This was a thing I had to judge entirely for myself. The other person most nearly concerned has tried up to the last to persuade me to take a different course. I have made this, the most serious decision of my life, only upon the single thought of what would in the end be best for all. This decision has been made less difficult to me by the sure knowledge that my brother, with his long training in the public affairs of this country and with his fine qualities, will be able to take my place forthwith, without interruption or
injury to the life and progress of the Empire. And he has one matchless blessing, enjoyed by so many of you and not bestowed on me – a happy home with his wife and children.

During these hard days I have been comforted by Her Majesty my mother and by my family. The Ministers of the Crown, and in particular Mr Baldwin, the Prime Minister, have always treated me with full consideration. There has never been any constitutional difference between me and them and between me and Parliament. Bred in the constitutional tradition by my father, I should never have allowed any such issue to arise.

Ever since I was Prince of Wales, and later on when I occupied the Throne, I have been treated with the greatest kindness by all classes of the people, wherever I have lived or journeyed throughout the Empire. For that I am very grateful. I now quit altogether public affairs, and I lay down my burden. It may be some time before I return to my native land, but I shall always follow the fortunes of the British race and Empire with profound interest, and if at any time in the future I can be found of service to His Majesty in a private station I shall not fail.

And now we all have a new King. I wish him, and you, his people, happiness and prosperity with all my heart. God bless you all. God Save The King.”4

As Edward spoke, Wallis listened in Cannes, sobbed openly and eventually curled up on the sofa. She wrote in her memoirs, “I was lying on the sofa with my hands over my eyes, trying to hide my tears. After he finished, the others quietly went away and left me alone. I lay there for a long time before I could control myself enough to walk through the house and go upstairs to my room.”5

After making the broadcast, Edward returned to Royal Lodge to say goodbye. His sister was in tears, but Queen Mary “was magnificently brave throughout and took leave of the King cheerfully.”6 The new King recalled, “When D & I said goodbye, we kissed, parted as freemasons & he bowed to me as his King.”7 Edward then returned to the Fort where the last of his personal belongings were being packed. Around midnight, he left the Fort for a final time and the car disappeared into the heavy rain.

It has been decided that he would go to Austria to wait out Wallis’ decree absolute. They would not be reunited until 4 May the following year. During those six months, Edward lived at Schloss Enzesfeld and he and Wallis telephoned every day, which led to a telephone bill of £800 after just three months.

The post “At long last…” appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – “At long last…”

On the evening of 11 December, there was one final family dinner at Royal Lodge. The guests were Edward’s mother Queen Mary, his sister the Princess Royal, his three brothers, Queen Mary’s brother the Earl of Athlone and his wife Princess Alice. The Earl of Athlone later recalled, “It might have been quite a gloomy occasion. I take my hat off to the butler! Pretty flowers and china and all that – the table beautifully set out: beautifully done. Made it quite cheerful.”1

At 9.30 that night, Edward left Royal Lodge and headed to Windsor Castle from where he was meant to make his radio broadcast. There had reportedly been one version of the speech that began with the words, “I am now free to tell you how I was jockeyed out of the Throne.” However, Winston Churchill had made Edward throw it into the fire and it was Churchill who wrote the final abdication broadcast.2 Wallis perhaps would have preferred Edward’s version of the broadcast as she had written to him on 6 December, “Don’t be silenced and leave under a cloud I beseech you and in abdication no matter in what form unless you can let the public know that the Cabinet has virtually kicked you out…”3

At ten, Edward was introduced with the words, “This is Windsor Castle. His Royal Highness, Prince Edward.” Edward then began his broadcast, ” At long last I am able to say a few words of my own. I have never wanted to withhold anything, but until now it has not been constitutionally possible for me to speak.

A few hours ago I discharged my last duty as King and Emperor, and now that I have been succeeded by my brother, The Duke of York, my first words must be to declare my allegiance to him. This I do with all my heart. You all know the reasons which have impelled me to renounce the Throne. But I want you to understand that in making up my mind I did not forget the country or the Empire which as Prince of Wales, and lately as King, I have for twenty-five years tried to serve. But you must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to
discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.

And I want you to know that the decision I have made has been mine and mine alone. This was a thing I had to judge entirely for myself. The other person most nearly concerned has tried up to the last to persuade me to take a different course. I have made this, the most serious decision of my life, only upon the single thought of what would in the end be best for all. This decision has been made less difficult to me by the sure knowledge that my brother, with his long training in the public affairs of this country and with his fine qualities, will be able to take my place forthwith, without interruption or
injury to the life and progress of the Empire. And he has one matchless blessing, enjoyed by so many of you and not bestowed on me – a happy home with his wife and children.

During these hard days I have been comforted by Her Majesty my mother and by my family. The Ministers of the Crown, and in particular Mr Baldwin, the Prime Minister, have always treated me with full consideration. There has never been any constitutional difference between me and them and between me and Parliament. Bred in the constitutional tradition by my father, I should never have allowed any such issue to arise.

Ever since I was Prince of Wales, and later on when I occupied the Throne, I have been treated with the greatest kindness by all classes of the people, wherever I have lived or journeyed throughout the Empire. For that I am very grateful. I now quit altogether public affairs, and I lay down my burden. It may be some time before I return to my native land, but I shall always follow the fortunes of the British race and Empire with profound interest, and if at any time in the future I can be found of service to His Majesty in a private station I shall not fail.

And now we all have a new King. I wish him, and you, his people, happiness and prosperity with all my heart. God bless you all. God Save The King.”4

As Edward spoke, Wallis listened in Cannes, sobbed openly and eventually curled up on the sofa. She wrote in her memoirs, “I was lying on the sofa with my hands over my eyes, trying to hide my tears. After he finished, the others quietly went away and left me alone. I lay there for a long time before I could control myself enough to walk through the house and go upstairs to my room.”5

After making the broadcast, Edward returned to Royal Lodge to say goodbye. His sister was in tears, but Queen Mary “was magnificently brave throughout and took leave of the King cheerfully.”6 The new King recalled, “When D & I said goodbye, we kissed, parted as freemasons & he bowed to me as his King.”7 Edward then returned to the Fort where the last of his personal belongings were being packed. Around midnight, he left the Fort for a final time and the car disappeared into the heavy rain.

It has been decided that he would go to Austria to wait out Wallis’ decree absolute. They would not be reunited until 4 May the following year. During those six months, Edward lived at Schloss Enzesfeld and he and Wallis telephoned every day, which led to a telephone bill of £800 after just three months.

The post The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – “At long last…” appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The abdication of King Edward VIII

Wallis had tried over and over again to remove herself from the situation, to keep the King on the throne, but in the end, the abdication was inevitable.

On 10 December 1936, at ten in the morning at Fort Belvedere, in the presence of his brothers, King Edward VIII signed six copies of the Act of Abdication. Edward later wrote, “As if in harmony with the lifting of the almost intolerable pressure of the last few weeks, the fog that had for some days added to the gloom had also lifted. Sitting at the desk, with my three brothers watching, I began to sign the documents.[..] The occasion moved me. Like a swimmer surfacing from a great depth, I left the room and stepped outside, inhaling the fresh morning air.”1 The act was to take effect at midnight and was given royal assent at 1.52 in the afternoon on 11 December.

The act read, “I, Edward the Eighth, of Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Emperor of India, do hereby declare My irrevocable determination to renounce the Throne for Myself and for My descendants, and My desire that effect should be given to this Instrument of Abdication immediately.

In token whereof I have hereunto set My hand this tenth day of December, nineteen hundred and thirty-six, in the presence of the witnesses whose signatures are subscribed.

EDWARD R.I.
Signed at Fort Belvedere in the presence of

ALBERT

HENRY

GEORGE”2

Later that afternoon, the Prime Minister made the announcement in the House of Commons. He carried with him a message from the King which said, “After long and anxious consideration, I have determined to renounce the Throne to which I succeeded on the death of my Father, and I am now communicating this my final and irrevocable decision. Realising as I do the gravity of this step, I can only hope that I shall have the understanding of my people in the decision I have taken and the reasons which had led me to take it. I will not enter now into my private feelings, but I would beg that it should be remembered that the burden which constantly rests upon the shoulders of a Sovereign is so heavy that it can only be borne in circumstances different from those in which I now find myself.[…] I take my leave of them in the confident hope that the course which I have thought it right to follow is that which is best for the stability of the Throne and Empire and the happiness of my peoples. I am deeply sensible of the consideration which they have always extended to me, both before and after my accession to the Throne, and which I know they will extend in full measure to my successor.”3

The Prime Minister then said, “No more grave message has ever been received by Parliament, and no more difficult, I may almost say repugnant, task has ever been imposed upon a Prime Minister.”4

There were also a lot of financial questions to be answered. Edward asked for a pension of £25,000 a year in return for surrendering his life interest in Sandringham and Balmoral. These had been left to Edward by his father, and George eventually paid for them. However, Edward also claimed his personal fortune was only £90,000, which was less than a tenth of the real amount. This lie would eventually poison the relationship between the two brothers even further. However, that night the brothers had dinner together amicably.

The post The abdication of King Edward VIII appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – The abdication of King Edward VIII

Wallis had tried over and over again to remove herself from the situation, to keep the King on the throne, but in the end, the abdication was inevitable.

On 10 December 1936, at ten in the morning at Fort Belvedere, in the presence of his brothers, King Edward VIII signed six copies of the Act of Abdication. Edward later wrote, “As if in harmony with the lifting of the almost intolerable pressure of the last few weeks, the fog that had for some days added to the gloom had also lifted. Sitting at the desk, with my three brothers watching, I began to sign the documents.[..] The occasion moved me. Like a swimmer surfacing from a great depth, I left the room and stepped outside, inhaling the fresh morning air.”1 The act was to take effect at midnight and was given royal assent at 1.52 in the afternoon on 11 December.

The act read, “I, Edward the Eighth, of Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Emperor of India, do hereby declare My irrevocable determination to renounce the Throne for Myself and for My descendants, and My desire that effect should be given to this Instrument of Abdication immediately.

In token whereof I have hereunto set My hand this tenth day of December, nineteen hundred and thirty-six, in the presence of the witnesses whose signatures are subscribed.

EDWARD R.I.
Signed at Fort Belvedere in the presence of

ALBERT

HENRY

GEORGE”2

Later that afternoon, the Prime Minister made the announcement in the House of Commons. He carried with him a message from the King which said, “After long and anxious consideration, I have determined to renounce the Throne to which I succeeded on the death of my Father, and I am now communicating this my final and irrevocable decision. Realising as I do the gravity of this step, I can only hope that I shall have the understanding of my people in the decision I have taken and the reasons which had led me to take it. I will not enter now into my private feelings, but I would beg that it should be remembered that the burden which constantly rests upon the shoulders of a Sovereign is so heavy that it can only be borne in circumstances different from those in which I now find myself.[…] I take my leave of them in the confident hope that the course which I have thought it right to follow is that which is best for the stability of the Throne and Empire and the happiness of my peoples. I am deeply sensible of the consideration which they have always extended to me, both before and after my accession to the Throne, and which I know they will extend in full measure to my successor.”3

The Prime Minister then said, “No more grave message has ever been received by Parliament, and no more difficult, I may almost say repugnant, task has ever been imposed upon a Prime Minister.”4

There were also a lot of financial questions to be answered. Edward asked for a pension of £25,000 a year in return for surrendering his life interest in Sandringham and Balmoral. These had been left to Edward by his father, and George eventually paid for them. However, Edward also claimed his personal fortune was only £90,000, which was less than a tenth of the real amount. This lie would eventually poison the relationship between the two brothers even further. However, that night the brothers had dinner together amicably.

The post The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – The abdication of King Edward VIII appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Before Wallis – Marguerite Alibert: Edward VIII’s murderous lover

Marguerite was born on 9 December 1890 in Paris into a working-class family; her father Fermin was a driver, and her mother Marie was a housekeeper. Marguerite had a normal upbringing until her younger brother was killed one day while in her care. After being blamed by her parents for this, Marguerite was sent away to a boarding school where she was badly treated by the nuns and given little education aside from tuition in singing which she would fall back on later in life.

At sixteen, after being placed in a domestic service role by the nuns from the school, Marguerite became pregnant after a fling and gave birth to a daughter named Raymonde. The nuns cast out Marguerite for becoming pregnant. She spent the next few years moving from place to place, caring for her daughter when she could but then sending Raymonde off to live on a rural farm when she couldn’t afford to keep her.

After working in serving roles in a number of wealthy households, Marguerite began to see how the other half lived and wanted more for herself. In time she began working as une dame à cinq heures or a five o’clock girl, which was a high-end escort. As well as sexual duties, Marguerite would accompany wealthy businessmen on trips and to dinners where she would meet more people in high society. Soon Marguerite was working for Madame Denant, who was a highly regarded brothel owner.

In 1907, Marguerite got into her first long-term relationship and realised she could use relationships with wealthy or married men to earn money for herself. The first man was called André Mellor, and he was the son of a successful wine merchant; he was a married man, but it was acceptable to keep a mistress at the time. Marguerite was given a luxury apartment, and André paid for her lavish lifestyle. Though the couple were not married, they were together for six years, and Marguerite began to use André’s surname. Marguerite continued her work at the Maison de Rendezvous during her relationship with André and was able at this point to get her daughter back as she had the means to support her.

By 1913, Marguerite had moved on from Mellor after he became increasingly jealous of the attention she got from other men. After her relationship ended, Marguerite also moved on to another workplace, the house of Mme Sonia de Théval. This house was even more high-end than the last, and Marguerite was one of the most sought-after girls on the books with a celebrity-like status. Marguerite was soon entertaining members of the English aristocracy and French nobles and could make huge amounts of money from these liaisons. One of her first notable clients was the 2nd Duke of Westminster before his relationship with Coco Chanel. After entertaining the Duke, Marguerite became known amongst his glittering social circle and would host parties and events. Through these connections, Marguerite was introduced to Edward, Prince of Wales – the future King Edward VIII.

Edward and Marguerite met in a Paris hotel in 1917 while Edward was stationed in France with the Grenadier Guards due to World War One. It is believed that Edward was introduced to Marguerite by friends in order that she would provide him with a sexual education. He had already had a fling with another courtesan, but friends thought Marguerite had more experience. The relationship soon became more than a sexual one, and the pair were often seen chatting together in hotel lobbies and sent explicit love letters to each other. Edward would also write about the war and mentioned his father, King George V, in his letters. Edward was obsessed with Marguerite, and the pair were in a very intense relationship for around a year, but with the end of the war came the end of their relationship, and the prince returned to England and probably thought little about his dalliance with a French courtesan.

After her fling with Prince Edward had finished, Marguerite got married to a man named Charles Laurent. However, the relationship was over within months, but Marguerite managed to secure a large divorce settlement for herself. By this time, Marguerite owned a huge property with stables and had two limousines; she could even afford to send Raymonde to an excellent boarding school. However, most people she met had no idea that she was a courtesan, and she blended in with the other society ladies.

In 1921 Marguerite had moved on to her next conquest, an extremely wealthy Egyptian businessman called Ali Fahmy Bey. Ali was so high up in Egyptian society that he was known as ‘prince’ though he wasn’t actually royal. The twenty-two-year-old Ali met Marguerite, by this point in her thirties, while she was on a trip to Egypt with another man, but it is believed that Ali never knew Marguerite was a courtesan. A year later, the pair began a relationship when Ali was on a trip to Paris. For some time, the couple were happy together and travelled around France having fun. The couple got married after Marguerite moved to Egypt to be with Ali and converted to Islam.

Soon after her wedding to Ali Fahmy Bey, things began to fall apart for Marguerite. Ali tried as best as he could to control his new wife; he imposed strict rules and Egyptian traditions on her, and he continued to marry other women and ignored her half of the time. When Ali changed the couple’s prenuptial agreement, removing Marguerite’s right to seek a divorce, she became very panicked and felt completely trapped. Marguerite had been ignorant of her new country’s customs when she agreed to the marriage and was very unhappy with the rules on dress and the fact that her husband was allowed to take other wives.

Marguerite began to keep a diary and wrote about the constant arguments with her husband and how he had become very controlling with her. She even wrote about being forced into sexual activities, which she did not want to do. It was clear by this point that the couple were unhappy together, and Marguerite sought a way out.

In July 1923, Marguerite was probably feeling a little more like her old self as the couple were taking a trip to London on holiday and staying in the Savoy Hotel, and they took an entourage of serving staff with them.

On 9 July, after attending the theatre for the evening, the couple started having one of their usual blazing rows in the hotel room. At 2.30 am the next day, gunshots were heard, and it turned out that Marguerite had actually killed her husband, Ali. With the multiple bullets entering Ali’s body from behind, it seems that Marguerite planned the attack and waited until she was out of Egypt to strike. Ali was taken to hospital but did not survive.

Marguerite was arrested for her husband’s murder, and the fact that there were witnesses at the scene meant that she was bound to be found guilty and hung for her actions. Marguerite, however, was a very clever woman and knew how to get herself out of a difficult situation- even a murder trial.

It turned out that Marguerite had kept hold of all of her letters from Prince Edward from years before; the letters filled with sexual details and comments about the royal family and the war. There was no way the British Royal family could afford to have these letters leaked or for people ever to find out that Edward had been involved with this French courtesan. As the trial progressed, it never came out that Marguerite was an escort, and the famous Sir Edward Marshall defended her. He spent his time convincing the court that Ali Fahmy Bey was a horrible, abusive man (which does seem to some extent to be true). Stirring up a lot of anti-Egyptian sentiment against Ali, it was easy to make Marguerite seem innocent and that she acted in self-defence.

All of the charges against Marguerite were dropped, and she was declared not guilty; it is rumoured that the royal family convinced the judge to declare her not guilty in return for her handing back the collection of letters. As a result, the letters and the secret relationship between Edward, Prince of Wales and Marguerite stayed buried for over a century.

Marguerite tried to claim her murdered husband’s fortune from his family in Egypt but failed in this endeavour. She soon went back to her old ways, however, and had a string of love affairs in Paris where she lived as a wealthy woman, known as “princess Marguerite” or “princess Fahmy” for the rest of her life, using her murdered husband’s title and status for her own gain.1

The post Before Wallis – Marguerite Alibert: Edward VIII’s murderous lover appeared first on History of Royal Women.

National Museums Scotland acquires armorial panels associated with Mary of Guise

A series of oak armorial panels from a house lived in by Mary, Queen of Scots’s mother Mary of Guise, have been acquired and conserved by National Museums Scotland. 

The four roundels are said to have come from a house in Blyth’s Close, in Edinburgh’s Old Town, where Mary of Guise lived from around 1543 to 1554. One of the roundels features the combined coats of arms of Mary of Guise’s husband, King James V and her own. Roundels like this were usually part of elaborate decorations and were used to promote the status of those who lived there.

National Museums Scotland

Dr Anna Groundwater, Principal Curator, Renaissance and Early Modern History at National Museums Scotland, said, “These armorial panels are a fantastic addition to the National Collections. We are very pleased to have been able to acquire them and look forward to putting them on public display in the future. They are important pieces in their own right and complement our existing collection of material associated with Marie de Guise already on display. We are particularly pleased to add these marital coat of arms of Mary, Queen of Scots’ parents.”

These roundels join other decorative objects associated with Mary of Guise already in National Museums Scotland’s collections, including carved oak doors salvaged from the same house when it was demolished, as well as sixteen oak medallion panels.

 

 

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Book Review: The Grand Ducal House of Hesse by Arturo E. Beéche & Ilana D. Miller

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The Grand Ducal House of Hesse is perhaps best known for its tragedies in the 20th century – such as the horrific aeroplane crash and the murders of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and her sister Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, both born Hessian princesses.

The Grand Ducal House of Hesse by Arturo E. Beéche & Ilana D. Miller starts in 1567 when Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, died and divided his vast lands among his four sons. It is a great hardcover book with plenty of images, and you can tell it’s been very well-researched. I enjoyed the early history of the Hessians, though it was (understandably) quite focussed on the men of the family. However, I was delighted to find a chapter giving particular focus on some of the women of the family.

The mentioning of the links to the British Royal Family also seemed unavoidable. It was the morganatic marriage of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine to Countess Julia Hauke that founded the Battenberg/Mountbatten family to which Prince Philip belonged.

Although this could have been a great book, I was pretty put off by the spacing issues around the photos, which sometimes seemed to throw off the entire page. The images really are the highlight of this book, so it was quite a shame to see this. There were also a few errors in the text – such as calling the wife of King William II of the Netherlands by the wrong name. However, overall the book is quite enjoyable and interesting.

The Grand Ducal House of Hesse by Arturo E. Beéche & Ilana D. Miller is available now in the US and the UK.

The post Book Review: The Grand Ducal House of Hesse by Arturo E. Beéche & Ilana D. Miller appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Duchess of Windsor – Wallis tries to withdraw from the situation

From the moment of her arrival in Cannes, Wallis did everything she could think of to prevent the King’s abdication. On 6 December, she had written to him, “I am so anxious for you not to abdicate and I think the fact that you is going to put me in the wrong light to the entire world because they will say that I could have prevented it.”1

The King had tried to get permission to make a speech to the country, appealing for their support, but the Prime Minister told him that the idea of a broadcast was unconstitutional. David then asked him, “You want me to go, don’t you?” Stanley Baldwin replied, “What I want, Sir, is what you told me you wanted: to go with dignity, not dividing the country, and making things as smooth as possible for your successor. To broadcast would go over the heads of your Ministers and speak to the people.”2

The abdication came closer and closer.

Wallis was cut off from the King, and all she could do was repeatedly call him on the telephone, urging him not to abdicate. The connection was often bad, and they were shouting down the receiver at each other. It was Lord Brownlow who told her that she had to renounce the King once and for all. Wallis realised that this would hurt the King very much, but she saw no other way anymore. She drafted the statement and read it to him on the telephone. As expected, he was hurt, but he also realised that this would divert some of the public blame from Wallis.

On the evening of 7 December, the statement was released to the press. “Mrs Simpson throughout the last few weeks has invariably wished to avoid any action or proposal which would hurt or damage His Majesty or the Throne. Today her attitude is unchanged, and she is willing, if such action would solve the problem, to withdraw forthwith from a situation that has been rendered both unhappy and untenable.”3

The Prime Minister had hoped for something a bit more final, and he dispatched her lawyer to Cannes to find out more. He arrived two days later and urged her to withdraw her divorce petition so that there would be no question of the King marrying her, and then the crisis would be averted. Wallis duly declared, “I will do anything within my power to keep the King on the Throne.”4 Lord Brownlow was less convinced by the solution and said, “If the King does abdicate his object, as we all know, will be marriage and for you to scrap your divorce will produce a hopeless anticlimax and an all-round tragedy.”5 Instead, he advised her to leave Europe.

When this plan was presented to the King later that day, it became clear that it was already too late. He told her, “I can’t seem to make you understand the position. It’s all over. The Instrument of Abdication is already prepared.”6  Wallis was stunned into silence, hung up the phone and collapsed into tears. Katherine Rogers told her, “You have done everything that could be expected of a woman in this situation. No one will blame you.”7

The post The Duchess of Windsor – Wallis tries to withdraw from the situation appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – Wallis tries to withdraw from the situation

From the moment of her arrival in Cannes, Wallis did everything she could think of to prevent the King’s abdication. On 6 December, she had written to him, “I am so anxious for you not to abdicate and I think the fact that you is going to put me in the wrong light to the entire world because they will say that I could have prevented it.”1

The King had tried to get permission to make a speech to the country, appealing for their support, but the Prime Minister told him that the idea of a broadcast was unconstitutional. David then asked him, “You want me to go, don’t you?” Stanley Baldwin replied, “What I want, Sir, is what you told me you wanted: to go with dignity, not dividing the country, and making things as smooth as possible for your successor. To broadcast would go over the heads of your Ministers and speak to the people.”2

The abdication came closer and closer.

Wallis was cut off from the King, and all she could do was repeatedly call him on the telephone, urging him not to abdicate. The connection was often bad, and they were shouting down the receiver at each other. It was Lord Brownlow who told her that she had to renounce the King once and for all. Wallis realised that this would hurt the King very much, but she saw no other way anymore. She drafted the statement and read it to him on the telephone. As expected, he was hurt, but he also realised that this would divert some of the public blame from Wallis.

On the evening of 7 December, the statement was released to the press. “Mrs Simpson throughout the last few weeks has invariably wished to avoid any action or proposal which would hurt or damage His Majesty or the Throne. Today her attitude is unchanged, and she is willing, if such action would solve the problem, to withdraw forthwith from a situation that has been rendered both unhappy and untenable.”3

The Prime Minister had hoped for something a bit more final, and he dispatched her lawyer to Cannes to find out more. He arrived two days later and urged her to withdraw her divorce petition so that there would be no question of the King marrying her, and then the crisis would be averted. Wallis duly declared, “I will do anything within my power to keep the King on the Throne.”4 Lord Brownlow was less convinced by the solution and said, “If the King does abdicate his object, as we all know, will be marriage and for you to scrap your divorce will produce a hopeless anticlimax and an all-round tragedy.”5 Instead, he advised her to leave Europe.

When this plan was presented to the King later that day, it became clear that it was already too late. He told her, “I can’t seem to make you understand the position. It’s all over. The Instrument of Abdication is already prepared.”6  Wallis was stunned into silence, hung up the phone and collapsed into tears. Katherine Rogers told her, “You have done everything that could be expected of a woman in this situation. No one will blame you.”7

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Review: Mourning – From Empress to Corona

The year 2021 marks 100 years since the death of the last German Empress – Auguste Viktoria. Her husband, German Emperor Wilhelm II, had abdicated in 1918, and they had been living in exile in the Netherlands since then. They had settled in Doorn House in May 1920, and by then, Auguste Viktoria was already seriously ill. In the early hours of 11 April 1921, the Empress died in her sleep.

The Emperor was relatively calm and told his aide-de-camp Sigurd von Ilsemann, “It’s a true comfort that the Empress died so peacefully.”1 That very same day, the Empress’s body came to be surrounded by flowers. In the same diary entry as above, Sigurd von Ilsemann wrote, “At 3.15, we visited the deceased’s room, followed by all the staff. The deceased was laying on a silk pillow surrounded by beautiful, fresh flowers.”

House Doorn has recreated the Empress’s bedroom as it was during the two days following her death. The Empress’s room became filled with flowers and wreaths. Margarete Kogge made a painting of the room, and this has allowed for a very precise reconstruction. The flowers and wreaths are all hand-made from silk. Some of the items on the bed are original and have remained in this position since the death of Auguste Viktoria.

Click to view slideshow.

On 16 April, the Empress’s coffin was moved downstairs to the dining room, which was turned into a mourning room. This room, too, became filled with flowers and wreaths and was also painted by Margarete Kogge. House Doorn has also recreated this room as it was. In reality, the bedroom and dining room situation would not have existed at the same time.

Click to view slideshow.

The rest of the house also has touches of mourning, such as black mourning ribbon and black fabric over the mirrors.

Click to view slideshow.

On 17 April, Auguste Viktoria’s funeral service was held in the dining room. In the evening, a guard of honour was held by three of her sons and her son-in-law. Afterwards, the coffin was carried outside by servants and put onto a specially converted car. Her coffin was brought to a train that stood waiting at Maarn Station. This train brought the Empress’s body to Potsdam, accompanied by several family members. Wilhelm was not allowed to leave the country and said his goodbyes in Maarn. Auguste Viktoria was interred in the Antikentempel in Potsdam, where now she lies with her husband’s second wife Hermine. Wilhelm himself did not wish to return to Germany unless it had reinstated the monarchy. He rests in a mausoleum on the grounds of House Doorn.

One of the last rooms in the house plays host to a small exhibition by art school students with their own take on mourning clothes.

Photo by Moniek Bloks

The more modern part of the exhibition can be found in the pavilion. It deals with the public response to things such as the MH-17 disaster and the murder of Pim Fortuyn.

Click to view slideshow.

Overall, I really enjoyed the exhibition, especially the part inside the house. The flowers and wreaths are simply gorgeous, and you can tell that a lot of work went into it. However, I didn’t really care for the room with the students’ mourning clothes. It just doesn’t fit. The part of the exhibition inside the pavilion surprised me in a good way; I hadn’t expected to like it.

The exhibition comes with a small publication, which appears to be only in Dutch, unfortunately.

For more information about House Doorn and the exhibition, please go here. The exhibition will run until 3 July 2022.

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